On the day of the team's first full-squad workout, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez couldn't give a date when Simmons will be ready for exhibition games but said the injury wasn't serious. Simmons fielded balls during workouts Thursday but didn't hit or throw.

Gonzalez said Simmons tried to play through the injury.

"It's too early to get worried," Gonzalez said. "We have talked to him about taking care of his body and he told us about it. It's spring training, and I want him on the field when he's ready."

Simmons downplayed the strain, saying it felt like nothing more than a small cramp but was similar to an injury that kept him from breaking camp with the team three years ago.

"He has gotten more mature about things like that," Gonzalez said. "He knows I'm no dummy. I just want him on the field."